US
LIFTS BAN ON NUKE EXPORTS
The United States in a significant move agreed to lift export
controls on equipment for nuclear facilities in India after
New Delhi assured it would address American non-proliferation
concerns.
US export licensing
policies will also be eased to expand bilateral cooperation
in commercial space programmes, officials said after talks
in Washington between Indian foreign secretary Shyam Saran
and US undersecretary of state for political affairs Marc
Grossman.
A joint statement
described the agreement, ahead of talks between Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and US President George W Bush as "major
progress".
"What this
shows is a growing relationship, both in terms of the number
of issues we're dealing with, the importance of the issues
and the strength of the cooperation," US state department
deputy spokesman Adam Ereli said.
The deal was the
first phase under the "Next Steps In Strategic Partnership
With India" agreed in January between President Bush
and the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. Officials
said the agreement marked a major milestone in Indian efforts
to break out of the isolation from international high-technology
after US lifted sanctions slapped on India's nuclear and space
programmes following New Delhi's nuclear test blasts in 1998.
The sanctions resulted
in a freeze on exchanges in nuclear and other high-tech sectors
such as "dual-use technology" which finds applications
in both civilian and military use.
"Implementation
of the (agreement) will lead to significant economic benefits
for both countries and improve regional and global security,"
the statement said. In January, the US and India agreed to
expand cooperation in three specific areas: civilian nuclear
activities, civilian space programmes, and high-technology
trade.
In addition, they
agreed to expand dialogue on missile defense. The two governments
have been locked in talks since then over India's implementation
of measures to address proliferation concerns and to ensure
compliance with US export controls, officials said.
"These efforts
have enabled the United States to make modifications to US
export licensing policies that will foster cooperation in
commercial space programmes and permit certain exports to
power plants at safeguarded nuclear facilities," the
statement said.
Among the steps
taken by the United States was the removal of ISRO headquarters
from a so-called "entity list" of the department
of commerce.
